Saturday, April 25, 2009

Everyone concerned about Assata Shakur should check out this link below courtesy of the good folks at The Talking Drum and Assata Shakur.org. They should be commended for refusing to let the world forget about a sister who sacrificed so much for Freedom.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Most Americans are not familiar with Assata Shakur. After all, she's not exactly the type of black super hero that they parade around during Black History Month. This is the type ignorance that some legislators in New Jersey hope will allow them to extradite Shakur back to the US under the cover of our darkness.

Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) was involved in a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that resulted in the deaths of fellow Black Liberation Army member Zayd Shakur and NJ State Trooper Werner Foerster. Shakur was sentenced to life in prison in 1977 but was broken out of prison by her comrades in 1979. She has been living under political asylum in Cuba since 1984.

She still remains on the FBI's Most Wanted List with a million dollar reward for any snitch willing to give her up to the FEDS.

However, with President Barack Obama seeking to open political channels with Cuba and ease US restrictions, politicians in New Jersey have been turning up the heat on the Prez to make the Cuban government give up Shakur if they want to be in Uncle Sam's good graces.

While the current headlines of "NJ to Press for Return of Cop Killer" would lead you to believe that Shakur is some heartless street thugstress that went around shootin' up police stations just for kicks, the truth about the government repression by which groups like the Black Panther Party and its underground military arm, the Black Liberation Army sufferered has never really been told.

We cannot allow the media to even begin discussing Assata Shakur without putting her struggle in the context of COINTELPRO. The Counter Intelligence Program was an effort by J. Edgar Hoover's Federal Bureau of Investigation and its associated agencies to destroy groups that dared stand against US oppression.

It was under COINTELPRO that black leadership suffered under "dirty tricks" that ranged from political assassinations (Fred Hampton) to smear campaigns which are too many to even begin to name here. Even the good Rev. Martin Luther King JR was not immune to Hoover's "dirty tricks."

Could you really expect Assata Shakur to get a fair trail under such repressive policies?

According to the late Civil Rights attorney, William Kuntsler in his book "My Life as a Radical Lawyer," a law enforcement agent told him that during Shakur's trial " a member of the New Jersey State Assembly had gone to the hotel where the jury was sequestered and talked to them about the necessity to convict." In the book Kuntsler hints that even he underestimated the lengths that NJ law enforcement would go to get a conviction of Shakur.

Today, those same types of people are at it again. On April 17th, NJ Senator Sean Kean sent a letter to President Obama asking him to "delay normalizing relations with Cuba unless they agree to extradite convicted cop killer JoAnne Chesimard."

Black bloggers must start an immediate, emergency mass education campaign to tell the true story of Assata Shakur and COINTELPRO to combat the efforts of the miseducation of the mainstream media.

We must make sure that our local and national "urban" radio stations inform their listeners about this issue. (Tom Joyner, Michael Baisden)

We must arm ourselves with information about Assata Shakur and COINTELPRO through websites, DVD's and books such as "Show Down" by the late Del Jones and "Racial Matters" and "Black America:The FBI Files" by Kenneth O'Reilly.

Finally, we must appeal to the Hip Hop artists who have the ears of the people to raise the issue if only for the reason of reppin' for "Tupac's kin folk." (If that will motivate them to take action.)

If we do not raise this issue, loudly, Assata Shakur will be back in a US prison or worst before she knows what hit her.

We owe this much to a sister who, as the rapper Common said in "A Song for Assata,"

Sunday, April 19, 2009

April 21st is Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day set aside to remember the the Jews who suffered under the Nazi regime. No one can fault an ethnic group for honoring the deaths of millions of its brothers and sisters. However, as a descendant of those who experienced their own African Holocaust I find myself, selfishly, asking "what about us ?"

My feeling of unapologetic, self centeredness has become more pronounced in the aftermath of the Obama Administration's bowing to Jewish pressure and deciding to boycott the UN World Conference Against Racism, an event that would have, initially,allowed issues important to African Americans such as reparations and the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade to be presented on the world stage. This was especially hurtful to a black community that had the misconception that the nations first African American president would give their issues a fair hearing.

For many blacks, this opened up an old wound; Jewish issues taking precedence over African American concerns.

Very few people argue over the death toll of six million Jews during their Holocaust, however for African Americans it is much different. The number of African people who were brought to America is conservatively estimated at 40 Million. How many Africans perished during the 400 years of the slave trade and the following years of European colonialism the world may never know. Reason being, the concern for people of color pales in comparison to concern for people with white skin.

There is only room for one "most persecuted" group and the Jews aren't sharing that spotlight with anyone.

Some of the best critiques of Black-Jewish relations were written by Harold Cruse in his books "Crisis of the Negro Intellectual" and "Plural but Equal." Cruse points out that contrary to popular belief, there was no real African American-Jewish alliance prior to 1913. It was not until the trial of Leo Frank, a Jewish man, convicted for murder based on the testimony of a black man and later lynched by a white mob that Jewish Americans developed any solidarity with the plight of black people. Prior to that the Jews were just as ambivalent towards the plight of blacks as other white folks.

But this fact is not discussed for fear of being labeled an anti-semite.

Black anti -semitism is , in itself, a misnomer. If you look at the actual definition of a Semite, it can apply to members of many ethnic groups of the Afro-Asiatic world; a fact that is conveniently left out of discussions.

If anything, African Americans are Jew phobic. There is a fear, whether real or imagined that if you say anything against Jewish people, something very bad is going to happen to you.

Part of this fear is theological.

Since the enslaved Africans, in this country, were forbidden to read the Bible, they were unable to develop a theology that placed their struggle in the context of the Divine Being's master plan. Therefore, any group that claims the title of "God's Chosen people" is readily accepted by African Americans, without question. This places them at a distinct disadvantage when dealing with other cultures which have historically made their culture synonymous with their religion.

The fear has also been socio-politically based.

There is a fear among African Americans that being labled an "enemy to the Jews" could result in anything from losing a political office, getting evicted from one's home to being blacklisted by any industry having a high Jewish ownership.

Whether real or imagined, these fears are not, totally, without precedent and the animosity over the control that many believe Jews exert over black lives remains.

Despite the good that Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam have done cleaning up drug infested, black neighborhoods any positive comments about the ministry are blocked by charges of anti-semitism. In the political realm, Rev. Jesse Jackson had his presidential runs of the 1980's severely impacted by the charge. Also during this period, politicians such as former Chicago political aid, Steve Cokely, lost his job because of charges of making anti-Jewish statements.

Black entertainers have been affected, as well. At the top of his popularity, "the King of Pop" Michael Jackson was dethroned by Jewish activists for mouthing the lyrics "Jew me, sue me" on the controversial song "They Don't Care About Us." Also, many believe that it is more than a coincidence that the top rated Arsenio Hall Show was canceled shortly after the appearance of Min. Louis Farrakhan on the program.

As uncompromising as Hip hop claims to be, even it has been impacted. During the late 80's, the rap group Public Enemy came under intense scrutiny for comments that group member Professor Griff, allegedly, made that offended Jewish leaders. Even Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs had to censor the lyric "stack chips like Hebrews" from the hit record "All About the Benjamins." The irony being that calls from African American women for rappers to recording misogynistic lyrics fall on deaf ears.

While the calls often go out to open channels of dialogue between the black and Jewish communities, this cannot be done without open and honest communication. Before we can move forward, we have to heal the old wounds of the past. This can only be done by cultural education which must begin with an African American community that has little knowledge of its own history.

Unfortunately, the African American scholars who have been capable of bringing historical clarity to the issue like Dr. Tony Martin and Dr. Leonard Jeffries have, themselves, been demonized as anti-Semites.

On April 21st millions of Jews will repeat the phrase, never forget!" Unfortunately, for African Americans, we cannot forget that which we have never been allowed to learn.

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

(White) Girls Ain't Nothin' But Trouble:The Obsession of White Women for Black Men

Paul Scott

Back in the day, Will "The Fresh Prince" Smith had a cool little video called "Girls Ain't Nothin' But Trouble." The video had Smith going through various dramatic episodes with black women. Despite having to jump out of a second story window and missing a RunDMC concert , The Fresh Prince came through the video unscathed, became a big time movie star and lived happily ever after. However, if there had been a white girl in the video, Smith would have either wound up doing a 10 year bid in the state pen or hanging by a noose, somewhere...

I first caught the trailer for the upcoming flick "Obsessed" a few months ago. The movie is about a white woman (Ali Larter) who tries to steal Beyonce's man (Idris Elba) and break up their happy home. I could tell by the look on the sistas' faces in the theatre that this movie could mean trouble for brothas who dared venture on the other side of the tracks.

According to the previews, Larter's character goes psycho after her initial advances go ignored by Elba but somehow she, miraculously, winds up in his bed. Imagine that. If you don't want to be in a theatre with a lot of black women sucking their teeth and screaming "beat that chick down," you might want to check out another movie. Now, Beyonce/Sasha Fierce isn't a bad actress but if I had directed this flick I would have gotten a dark skinned sister like Fantasia or Jennifer Hudson to play the lead. That would have made it really, real.

White women going after black men and vice versa is a touchy subject with black women. We've all heard the statistics about the lack of available black men. So, many women see it as an act of treason when a brotha is caught "sleepin' with the enemy."

Maybe the sista souljahs have a reason to be concerned. It does seem that when black men become successful, the first thing they do is grab an Escalade and a white chick.

It is hard to deny the fact that there are a whole lot of famous black men with white wives and girlfriends. So, when a brotha like Will Smith or Denzel Washington marries a sista, he is applauded by black women everywhere. Even Barack Obama got more props from black women for marrying Michelle than he did for getting elected president.

Historically, the relationship between black men and white women has not been all peaches and cream. In the South, it was not strange for a black man to end up at the bottom of a lake for even being accused of whistling at a white woman. Remember Emmett Till?

My first experience with a white girl when I was five years old left a lasting impression on me. I was at White Lake, NC with my new fast friend, "Suzie" building sand castles when she was suddenly summoned by her grandma who had been mean muggin' me from a distance for some time. Suzie returned two minutes later, loudly informing me that she was not allowed to play with n****.

That pretty much did it for me.

But yet, many black men still choose to bite the forbidden fruit. The reasons why vary.

Black women have not always been given the credit that they deserve. From elementary school onwards, the epitome of beauty given to black boys is Princes Diana and not Queen Nefertiti. It must also be noted that there was a period when black women were only thought of as baby making machines on a plantation while Miss Ann was the "flower of southern womanhood."

The reasons are also social and economic.

Franz Fanon hints in "Black Skin ,White Masks" that by entering into a white woman, the black man ,symbolically, enters into the white world with all of its privileges. Socially speaking, some black men believe that Heather can take him to dinner parties that Shaquanna can't.

The attraction of white women to black men also has historical roots that reach back to slavery. Lerone Bennett in his book "Before the Mayflower" points out that that "Ms. Mary" let Mandingo slip into the big house to give Massa Charlie a little payback for getting a little brown sugar on the side. So many white women see sleeping with black men as a way to fight back against a white male dominated society.

Also, for this Hip Hop generation, black women are the in thing. For better or worst, give Hip Hop credit for increasing the TV exposure of black women 100%. Give even the palest white chick a few hours in the tanning salon, a pair of padded jeans and a black boyfriend and you have an honorary "light skinned" sista.

So for the white chick trying to be black and the black dude trying to be white, it's a match made in heaven. (or some other place)

Maybe, it ain't all that deep...

Possibly, trying to psychoanalyze interracial relationships is a waste of time. Perhaps we, simply, choose to love who we choose to love.

To each his own.

But for me, I follow the teachings of that great philosopher and rapper Heavy D,

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Although this is a classic line from the movie "Cool Hand Luke," it could also be used to sum up the feelings of many Americans in regards to the boycott of the upcoming UN World Conference Against Racism by the United States and several other countries.

On April 20, nations will gather in Geneva Switzerland to discuss racism and its many degrees of ugliness. However, the US has announced that it will boycott the event because of the possibility that topics such as Zionism, reparations and the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade will be on the table.

Why would a nation that has just elected its first African American president do such a thing?

Perhaps the reason is that since we haven't had the courage to have an open and honest discussion of race within our own borders, we are hesitant about airing our dirty laundry before the world.

Philosophers have long posed the question whether or not man has the capacity for self condemnation. In the case of the Obama Adminstration the answer is, obviously, no.

Even though, Attorney General Eric Holder raised eyebrows a few months back when he chastised America for being a nation of cowards when it comes to facing race, it seems that the scope of his criticism was limited to home grown racism. Even when the issue of race is discussed domestically, the discussion is usually unbalanced. Either one practices racism or is the victim of the practice and the victims of racism have been people of color.

Historically, the US has never taken too kindly to the efforts of those who had the audacity to attempt to expand the struggle of black people beyond the borders of America.

One only has to look at the governmental persecution of such black leaders as Marcus Garvey and WEB Du Bois, who sought to place the plight of African Americans within a Pan Africanist context.

Also it is more than just a conspiracy theory that even though Dr. Martin Luther King's stance against the Vietnam War and Malcolm X's threat to bring the Civil Rights struggle before the United Nations may not have, directly, contributed to their early demises, the actions did result in increased federal surveillance of their activities.

The interconnectedness of America's Civil Rights movement and the global struggle for African Independence cannot be denied. The Civil Rights movement was effective, largely, because of the struggles of African nations against European colonialism. Also, the end of Apartheid was, at least, partially due to the efforts of college students who fought for the divestment of American interests from South Africa.

As African Americans, we have a right to sing our blues before the world about the problems that we still face in America such as disproportionate unemployment and police brutality without our voices being drowned out by government bureaucracy.

To have a country that is the home of millions of the decedents of the worst atrocity known to man (the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade) refuse to participate in a discussion about racism is not only an insult to the present generation but to our ancestors whose bones lie at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

We must boycott the US boycott of the World Conference Against Racism.

And how do we do this?

Our children have shown us the way.

Almost every American teenager is involved in some sort of Internet social networking via Facebook, Twitter, youtube etc, which gives them the ability to connect with other teens around the world, at will. We must use this new media to circumnavigate the blockade to global fellowship imposed by the US government.

While countries are meeting in Geneva April 20th -24, we must engage in a great global conversation using the tools that we have readily available; laptops, iPhones, etc to raise the issue of racism and its global impact on oppressed people. No Warning Shots Fired.com has already set up a social network group on Facebook called "Time to Face Race."

So, yes Mr. President, Americans will take part in the World Conference Against Racism; if only in cyberspace.

Paul Scott is a minister, activist and blogger who writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Ask any Hip Hop head about the genre's impact on the world and he will wax poetic for hours about how kids in Japan are break dancing and how children in Africa know the words to the latest lil Wayne song. But ask him about the role of Hip Hop in fighting for the rights of the globally oppressed and the silence is deafening.

With the far reaching impact of Hip Hop across the planet, one must ask why few have spoken out against the probable boycott of the upcoming World Conference Against Racism by the United States.

According to news reports, the US and several other countries will not attend the conference because of concern that issues such as Zionism, Reparations and the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade may be topics of discussion.

To have a country that is the home of millions of the decedents of the worst atrocity known to man refuse to participate in a discussion about racism is not only an insult to the present generation but to our ancestors whose bones lie at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

We have a right to sing our song before the world about the problems that we still face in America such as disproportionate unemployment and police brutality without our voices being drowned out by government bureaucracy.

You would think that a Hip Hop movement that has ,vehemently, opposed censorship would have their ambassadors on the front line demanding that the masses be heard. But no. There has been hardly a peep from the hardcore defenders of free speech.

Why?

Because contrary to popular belief and the anti-intellectual nature of some of their lyrics, rappers ain't stupid. They know who to mess wit'.

So why does a movement that has prided itself as being "neva scared" wet its collective pants at the thought of addressing global oppression ?

There has always been a certain amount of danger in black folks getting involved in international issues. One only has to look at the governmental persecution that black leaders such as Marcus Garvey and WEB Du Bois faced when, through Pan Africanism, they tried to expand the struggle of black folks beyond the shores of America. Also, it is more than just a conspiracy theory that Dr. Martin Luther King's campaign against the Vietnam War and Malcolm X's threat to bring the Civil Rights struggle before the United Nations hastened their early demises.

The fear of getting out of the Hip Hop sandbox and stompin' with the big dogs is not just limited to the Hip Hop movement but to Civil Rights organizations, as well.

So, it has been safer to confine ones concerns to the domestic not the foreign. In the case of the rapper, it is much safer to restrict your "beef" to another black man instead of the forces that oppress you both.

As much as many of the Hip Hop artists accuse the Civil Rights leaders of being soft, in reality, they both have the same end game strategy; total integration into the system. That is why the goals and objections of even the most "gangsta" rappers have not differed much from the status quo.

When criticized about their lyrics, some rappers are quick to claim that they are victims of society. Wouldn't the anti-racism conference be a perfect opportunity to expand Hip Hop's narrow definition of victim-hood to include the global victimization of African people? This would be a perfect opportunity to show the homies that the issues facing "tha hood" are microcosmic in relation to the issues facing black people, worldwide.

It is imperative that the Hip Hop community uses its collective resources to demand that the Obama Administration send representatives to the conference in Geneva beginning April 20th. It was not enough to register thousands of poor and oppressed black folks to vote in 2008. If, in 2009, the issues facing those people are still ignored the various voter registration drives were a waste of time and energy.

Hip Hop must truly become what it was initially meant to be, the voice of the oppressed.

Forget all the tough talk and street swagga. Until rappers can speak out against things like the boycott of the World Conference Against Racism, like James Brown said, they are just talkin' loud and sayin' nuthin...

Sunday, April 5, 2009

I always find it kind of funny when accepting an awardfor his hit “Kill em all; Till they Fall” ; MCPullatrigga gets on the mic and says, “First of all, Iwould like to thank God…” Or during a magazineinterview , Sexxx Thugstress, innocently, tells areporter how her close relationship with her Saviorgave her the strength to write “If the Escalade isRockin’ Don’t be Knockin.” As grandma would say,“Chile let me move ’cause I know that lightnin’ isfixin’ to strike….”

From as far back as history records, black peoplehave had a reverence for the Supreme Being. From theAfrican people who laid the foundation for modernreligion, to the old lady across the street who nevermisses a Sunday service, rain, sleet or snow, we havealways had a strong spiritual connection with theCreator. Many of us have vivid memories of receivingour first whippin’ for mocking Rev. Jones or Sis. RuthAnn when she got in “the spirit” one Sunday morning.We found out early that playin’ with “tha lawd“, was adefinite, No, No!

Historically, music and Spirituality have walked handin hand as music is more than just something to helpus get our party on but is a divine expression of ourrespect for the gift of life. It was our spirit filledsong that helped us keep the faith, even when we werebeing beaten by the slave master and forced to work inthe hot cotton fields from sun up to sun down and itwill be our song that leads us to the liberation ofour people from mental slavery The Spirituality ofAfrican people has always been thorn in the side ofthe oppressor. Our faith has been like that trickbirthday candle that no matter how hard you try, youjust can’t blow it out. We have been like a Spiritfilled energizer bunny playin’ an African drum, wejust keep going and going.

For many young brothas and sistas who aredisillusioned with organized religion, today Hip Hophas become the faith of choice. Maybe for some, therules and regulations of the other religions were justtoo hard to follow so they turned to the cardinal ruleof Hip Hop “if it feels good, do it” or more likely,they simply rejected the idea that they had to havethe word of God interpreted by white kings and otherEuropean writers. So, instead they traded in the KingJames version of the Bible for the Gospel according tothe white owned media and entertainment industry whoat least had the foresight to put pictures of Blackpeople on the covers of their magazines. So, the lawsrevealed to Moses were traded in for the 10 CrackCommandments.

While many rappers reflect “the Life is Hell”philosophy in their lyrics, I doubt very seriouslythat any other religion outside of Holy Hip Hopconsiders eternal torment living in a 5 million dollarmansion with an Olympic sized swimming pool. However,some rappers are helping to perpetuate the hell-ishconditions that black people are experiencing,globally by aiding our mental enslavement that keepsus under the foot of the white supremacist system.

Sadly, many of the brothas and sistas in Hip Hop arefully aware that they are leading black childrendown the path of destruction but have made a consciousdecision to sell the destiny of our people for 30pieces of silver or a platinum chain.

The problem is that our African Spirituality makes ithard for us to believe that anyone could be so evil asto use our music and Spirituality as a genocidalweapon. So many have underestimated the depths thatwhite supremacists would sink to keep the masses ofAfrican people oppressed.

Some will argue that it is “only music”, but as dudefrom the movie, “the Usual Suspects” said “thegreatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincingthe world he didn’t exist.” The oppressor knows thatthe only way to totally destroy a people is toseparate them from their connection to the Creator.Once their Spiritual immune system is broken down, thepeople are left open to all the vices that plague theplanet, drugs, disease, violence, etc.

When faced with this TRUTH, many young brotha’s willdefiantly shout, “Only God can judge me!!!!” However,there is such a thing as corporate responsibility andthe actions of one member of the African family,affect the whole, including future generations. So toanswer the age old question, “I am my Brother’skeeper.”

Our African ancestors knew that it was not only theright, but the responsibility of the elders to giveguidance to the younger generation because it was theywho would determine the future of the tribe. But todayeven, our most learned elders seem to be intimidatedby children just because they can quote rap lyricslike the old folks quote scripture. When the adults inthe Afrikan familiy stop trying to win a popularitycontest with 14 year olds and stand up and speakTRUTH, then will the end of our oppression come.

Most religions have some sort of Judgement Day whenTRUTH is revealed; when a persons deeds are weighed inthe balance against the Universal principles ofRighteousness. A day when light (KNOWLEDGE) eventuallyovercomes darkness (LIES). Even though some rappersthink that they can defy the law of Reciprocity byraising hell all year long and giving out a freeturkey at Thanksgiving.

Rappers Bone Thugs-n-Harmony once asked “What ya gonnado; when there ain’t no place to hide, when judgementcomes for you?” So Hip Hop, today is at theCrossroads. We must make a decision as to which roadwe will take, the road to liberation or the road toslavery. The path that will insure a future for thenext generation or the path that will lead to itsdestruction.

To borrow from an old Public Enemy interlude; “Rightvs. Wrong; Good vs. Evil; God vs. the Devil; what sideyou on?”

****Originally Written 2002***

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283

Paul Scott

Paul Scott

Paul Scott is a minister, writer, lecturer and activist. He has been a guest on talk shows around the world including Hannity and Colmes (Fox News), Fox News Live, Nachman (MSNBC), Hot 97 (NY), The Bev. Smith Show, Mancow Morning Show, Mike Medved Show, Russ Parr Morning Show, Mo in the Midday WVON (Chicago), Tom Pope Show (DC) Newstalk 1010 (Toronto) and SAfm (South Africa) discussing the issues of Rap,Race,Religion and Revolution. He has been interviewed by many newspapers including the New York Times, the USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor. Scott has lectured at universities across the country including West Virginia University, Clemson, Winston Salem State University and Illinois Wesleyan University. Scott was ordained a Baptist minister in 1998 he later went on to coin the phrase Afrikan Liberation Theology, which is "Black Liberation Theology for the 21st century." After forming the New Righteous Movement, Scott formed the Messianic Afrikan Nation in 2003. For more information contact (984) 377-2064 info@nowarningshotsfired.com or Twitter @NWSF